Friday, January 12, 2007

"Konti na lang...mapupuno na. Buy pa tau ng frap and yung Christmas Traditions flavors. Sige na, please, para mapuno na yung akin. I so want that planner na!!" These words (or somewhat different yet the same) are what most people would hear when the Holiday season arrives. Starbucks Coffee started this craze a few years ago, and has been, since then, very successful in it. Thousands of people, any market, line up to get their hands on these planners. What's so good about this planner anyway? Basically, nothing. You can buy a cheaper planner at any bookstore and you won't even have to endure a month of caffeine overdose from all those coffee drinks you need to acquire them stickers. You see, for those people living outside the coffee world radar, in order for you to get this prized planner, you hafta buy 21 coffee drinks in Starbucks. One drink = one sticker. Twelve regular drinks for the right side of the sticker card and Nine Christmas Tradition blends for the left side. Yes, 21 stickers. See the hype? It's the perfect marketing strategy for them. And people are really getting into it. Some would race to fill up their cards and see who gets to redeem a planner first. I know a friend who redeemed her planner a week after the promo started. Another thing, I like last year's planner better than this year. 2007 planner is bulky and huge. And, it has no coupons.

Well, at first I didn't want to join the hype. Especially last year when I got mine, 3 weeks into it, I got lazy and handed my planner over to the dust and dirt inside my cabinet. This year wont be any different. But, since Nunee gave Starbucks gift certificates and so did Viveca, (my GC's amounted to a P1,000), what was I supposed to do with it? Might as well, right? So last January 08, I finally redeemed my planner at Alabang Town Center.

This planner is different since I was the one who really spent for the drinks for the stickers. Unlike last year where I got a lot of help from friends and family, which by the way, a lot of people do. Not really buying their own coffee, just asking for the receipts and stickers of other people who don't care.

Anyhoo..four days into it, and I still have the urge to write in it and update it. Let's see how long before my trusty drawer inherits this so-called hyped up planner.